The Heartfilia Conservatory loomed ahead, a vast botanical garden, filled with twisting vines, towering plants, and endless clusters of blooming flowers.I pushed through the heavy doors, my chest rising and falling with each ragged breath. My knee ached, sharp and pulsing, but I didn’t stop.
The conservatory stretched wide before me, a maze of lush greenery and tangled paths, but I already knew where I needed to go.
At the very center—the rose garden.
Rows of red, white, and deep wine-colored roses curled around elaborate trellises, their petals full and rich, breathtaking yet cruel with their hidden thorns.
This had to be it.
Dropping to my knees, I shoved my hands into the dense bushes, wincing as sharp thorns sliced into my fingers. Blood welled up instantly, warm and slick against my skin, but I barely felt it.
I wasn’t alone.
A flicker of movement caught my eye. Other students. Desperate. Searching. My stomach twisted as my gaze landed on Victoria.
She looked on edge, frantic, her usual confidence unraveling as she pushed past students, shoving aside petals and leaves, her hands trembling with urgency.
"Search faster," she snapped. "We have less than fifteen minutes!"
I ducked lower behind the rose bushes, keeping my body hidden between the thick branches. The last thing I needed was for Victoria to spot me.
Time was slipping away, fast and merciless. Somewhere nearby, a timer beeped.
"Shit— Five minutes left. I have to go!" a student shouted, bolting from the garden, abandoning his friend in the search.
My heartbeat roared in my ears. Instinct took over.
I shoved my hands deeper into the thorns, ignoring the sting of cuts ripping across my skin. And then—I felt it. Something stiff, buried beneath the leaves.
A card.
I yanked it free without hesitation, a surge of relief rushing through me as I clutched it tightly in my raw, aching fingers.
I didn’t even look at it. Didn’t have time. I ran.
Sprinting out of the conservatory, my heart slammed against my ribs, the cool evening air biting against my sweat-dampened skin. The Academy grounds blurred past me, my injured knee screaming in protest with every step.
The auditorium doors were just ahead.
A Deckmaster stood by the entrance, their masked face unreadable as they moved to close the doors.
I pushed forward, lungs burning, my legs threatening to give out—I lunged through just in time. The doors slammed shut behind me.
A second later, desperate voices rang from the other side. Too late.
I bent over, hands on my knees, gasping for breath. My entire body throbbed, exhaustion coiling around me like a vice.
"You made it!"
Sophie’s voice cut through the haze, her hands gripping my shoulders as she steadied me.
"Holy shit, Andrea, you barely— wait." She pulled back, eyes wide with excitement. "Did you find a card?!"
Still panting, I nodded weakly, lifting my bloodied fingers just enough to show her the card clenched between them.
Sophie beamed. "That’s amazing! Cards are already being revealed! I got a Jack—it’s not a Queen, but it’s really good anyway!"
I barely registered her words. My hands were still shaking, my mind spinning.
Sophie’s grip on me tightened, her voice softer now. "Listen, you don’t have to worry, no matter what you got, I’ll have your back, okay?" Her eyes shone with determination. "We stick together."
Before I could respond, a voice cut through the air.
"Andrea Riley."
I snapped my head up, my pulse stuttering. A Deckmaster stood at the front of the auditorium, their masked face pointed directly at me.
I wasn’t the only one being summoned.
Victoria. Gabriel. Aiden. We are the last four students returned.
I moved forward, my legs heavy, the weight of dozens of eyes pressing against me. Victoria scoffed, flipping over her card with a huff of impatience.
Ten of Spades.
A murmur rippled through the audience. A solid rank, but probably not what she had wanted. Gabriel went next, revealing his card with calm indifference.
King of Diamonds.
Expected. Powerful. Then Aiden, his feral grin widening, flipped his card over.
Ace of Spades.
A ripple of sharp whispers spread through the room, the weight of his draw settling over everyone like a threat. A wildcard. Pure chaos. Just like himself.
The card in my hands felt heavier than it should have, the edges sharp against my trembling fingers. Blood smeared across the surface, the deep crimson of my cuts blending with the ornate pattern on the back.
I couldn’t breathe.
The floor beneath me tilted, the walls of the auditorium closed in, the hum of hundreds of whispers buzzing in my skull like static.
What if I picked up the Joker?
My stomach twisted painfully, a cold, sickening wave of dread flooding my veins.
Not the Joker. Anything but the Joker.
The prey. The lowest of the low. The one everyone could torment, humiliate, destroy.
I swallowed hard, my heart slamming against my ribs, pulse roaring in my ears so loud I could barely hear my own thoughts.
I had to turn it over. I had to know. Slowly—too slowly—I pressed my thumb against the edge of the card and flipped it.
My breath caught.
Queen of Hearts.
Silence. Dead, stunned silence. Then—a furious shriek.
"No fucking way!" Victoria’s voice ripped through the room, sheer rage bleeding through every word. "That’s impossible! She’s a fucking Leftover! She can’t— she shouldn’t—"
Her words cut off sharply as a Deckmaster raised a gloved hand. The shift in energy was instant. The finality of it. A heavy, crushing authority that not even Victoria Sterling could challenge.
"The cards have been revealed," the Deckmaster said, their voice eerily calm, yet absolute. "The new ranks are final."
Victoria went rigid, her breathing harsh, her eyes burning with uncontained fury. Her hands clenched at her sides, her manicured nails digging into her palms as she gritted her teeth.
But she knew the rules. Once a rank was set, it could not be contested.
She had lost. And I had won.
The Deckmasters turned, exiting the auditorium with slow, deliberate steps, leaving behind nothing but silence—and the weight of what had just happened suffocating the air.
For a moment, no one moved. No one spoke.
Then—a low chuckle. A deep, amused rumble that rolled through the quiet like a match sparking against dry air.
Aiden.
I turned just as his laughter grew, starting soft, then sharpening into something utterly entertained.
He wasn’t laughing because I won. He was laughing at my reaction. At Victoria’s meltdown. At the absolute chaos I had unknowingly created.
Aiden strolled forward, his lips curved in a wicked smirk, his eyes alight with something unreadable.
He didn’t stop until he was close enough that I could feel the heat of his presence, close enough that his hand landed firmly on my shoulder.
"Well, well," he drawled, his voice laced with amusement, low and knowing. "Looks like this semester just got a whole lot more interesting."
His fingers squeezed, just slightly, before he leaned in, his breath warm against my ear.
"I really hope you make this fun, Queenie," he murmured, his voice a slow, dangerous promise.
Then he let go and walked away.
Leaving me standing there, surrounded by hundreds of wide-eyed stares, hushed whispers, and the undeniable truth settling deep in my bones.
I wasn’t just another scholarship student anymore. I had just become one of the most powerful players in Blackthorn’s twisted game.